HOBBY LOBBY PROTEST

The recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court (Burwell v. Hobby Lobby) allowing that chain of stores to opt out of providing birth control coverage for its employees on religious grounds has stirred up considerable controversy. One example of that may be seen this Saturday, July 19, when a protest is planned near the Springfield Hobby Lobby store, located at 3325 S. Veterans Parkway. The protest, scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to noon, is sponsored by Planned Parenthood, several Springfield-area religious groups and other organizations.

Protest organizer Tracy Zieber, a representative of one of those religious groups, the Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation, says, “As members of the community and the church, we want to show that not all people of faith hold the same feelings as those of private corporations like Hobby Lobby....This is a women’s issue, a human rights issue, a labor issue and a legal issue. We believe private, for-profit businesses should not be able to interfere in women’s health decisions.”

The protestors plan to meet on the sidewalk across the street from Hobby Lobby and, if there are enough people, at the sidewalk at the intersection of Lindbergh Drive and Freedom Drive, near the store. For more information, contact Tracy Zieber at www.tracyzieber@gmail.com.